Blood

Question 1

Compare the size of RBCs and WBCs.

Answer 1

WBCs are larger than RBCs

Question 2

How do neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils look under the microscope?

Answer 2

. Neutrophils- nucleus in several lobes
. Eosinophils- nucleus normally bi-lobed, reddish-brown
. Basophils- dominant purple granules

Question 3

What do lymphocytes and monocytes look like under the microscope?

Answer 3

. Lymphocytes- large, compact, round, bluish nucleus

. Monocytes- Large cells (more than twice the size of RBCs), nucleus is sausage-shaped, bluish cytoplasm

Question 4

What do A, B, AB, and O blood groups mean?

Answer 4

. Group A- A antigens, anti-B antibodies
. Group B- B antigens, anti-A antibodies
. Group AB- AB antigens, no A or B antibodies
. Group O- No A or B antigens, anti-A and anti-B antibodies

Question 5

Which blood group is known as a ‘universal donor’?

Answer 5

O Rh-negative because no antigens so not rejected

Question 6

What does Rhesus factor tell us?

Answer 6

Indicates if there’s D-antigens present on the surface of a person’s RBCs.

Question 7

Describe the risk that a rhesus negative pregnant mother could pose.

Answer 7

. If RhD negative mother and RhD positive father have a baby, there’s a chance the baby could be RhD positive
. If a small amount of this baby’s blood enters the mother’s bloodstream during childbirth, the mother will produce anti-D antibodies (‘sensitising event’)
. If the mother has a second child who is also RhD positive, her anti-D antibodies (lots of them produced in secondary response) can cross the placenta and destroy the baby’s blood cells
. This leads to rhesus disease, where the baby has anaemia, jaundice, and sometimes brain damage

Question 8

How is Rhesus disease prevented?

Answer 8

Mother is injected with anti-D antibodies which neutralise any RhD positive antigens that may pass into the mother’s blood from the foetus. This means the mother won’t produce anti-D antibodies that could harm a second RhD positive child.

Question 9

What is neutropenia?

Answer 9

Decreased neutrophil count

Question 10

What is pancytopenia?

Answer 10

Reduction in all cell counts

Question 11

What do the suffixes -cytosis and -philia mean?

Answer 11

Increase

Question 12

What does the suffix -penia mean?

Answer 12

Decrease

Question 13

What is thrombocytosis and thrombocytopenia?

Answer 13

Thrombocytosis is increase in platelets, thrombocytopenia is decrease in platelets

Question 14

What is monocytosis?

Answer 14

Increase in monocytes

Question 15

What is lymphopenia?

Answer 15

Decrease in lymphocytes